Apparatus for drying lengths of dyed fabrics

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for drying lengths of dyed fabrics wound on a beam comprises a carriage for supporting the beam in a dryer housing having a drying chamber located beneath the housing and into which the fabric is unwound. Within the chamber and in a position to receive the descending fabric is a conveyor which carries the fabric in a spread condition through successive other drying chambers.

United States Patent 1191 Schuierer [5Y4] APPARATUS FOR DRYING LENGTHS OF DYED FABRICS Inventor: Manfred Schuierer, 6122 Erbach/Odenwald, Germany Bruckner-Apparatebau GmbH, Werner-Von Siemens-Strasse, Germany Fned; Oct. 18, 1971 Appl. No.: 189,979

[73] Assignee:

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 21, 1970 Germany ..P 20 51 635.2

US. Cl ..34/70, 34/73, 68/18 C Int. Cl ..F26b 19/00 Field of Search ..34/70, 73, 153, 162;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,052,948 9/1936 Simpson 26/135 3,623,677 11/1971 Appleby ....242/67.3 3,640,099 2/1972 Hoim 68/1 8 C Primary Examiner-Carroll B. Dority, Jr. Attorney-Learman & McCulloch 57 ABSTRACT Apparatus for drying lengths of dyed fabrics wound on a beam'comprises a carriage for supporting the beam in a dryer housing having a drying chamber located beneath the housing and into which the fabric is unwound. Within the chamber and in a position to receive the descending fabric is a conveyor which carries the fabric in a spread condition through successive other drying chambers.

6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR17i9'I3 I 3 727, 329,

INVENTOR:

W W BY: WW0 9717 order to achieve various advantages in processing, in recent times there has been an increasing tendency to dye textile fabrics with organic solvents, in particular with chlorinated hydrocarbons. Because of the relatively high cost of these solvents, recovery of the dye mixture to the greatest possible extent is necessary. For this reason it is not possible to treat lengths of fabric dyed on a beam in the same manner (i.e., in an open system) as was described above for fabric dyed in aqueous dye baths.

In an earlier proposal by the applicant, the length of fabric dyed on a beam by organic solvents was dried in the dyeing device, for instance by first centrifuging the dye beam, and then removing the remaining solvent content from the roll by a gaseous drying medium. However, this type of drying process involves certain problems of design and operation. In addition, it is for many purposes desirable to dry the fabric in the flat spread-out condition-instead ofih a coil.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a device for drying lengths of fabric dyed on a beam by organic solvents, which permits the solvent still present in the fabric after the dyeing process to be removed from the fabric in the flat spread-out condition, without the operative coming into harmful contact with the fabric between the end of the dyeing process and the end of the drying process while the fabric still contains solvent residues.

According to the invention this object is achieved by means of a carriage for conveying the beam from the dyeing apparatus to a drying housing having a conveyor supported in a chamber below the carriage, and in communication with the housing, the carriage having means for rotating the beam to unwind the fabric and deposit it on the conveyor.

The drying of the fabric in a device separated f om the dyeing apparatus has the advantage that the dyeing and drying processes are independent of each other, so that the short dyeing times which can be achieved by dyeing with organic solvents are not affected by the longer periods needed for drying. In this way the dyeing and drying plants can be utilized to the optimum extent.

If the dye beam is slowly rotated by the rotary drive provided in the carriagewhile the beam is conveyed from the dyeing apparatus to the drying device, the emergence of solvent from the roll during conveyance can be practically eliminated. By utilizing the relatively high specific gravity of the solvent vapor, this permits the use of a conveyor carriage open at its top, without any nuisance from smells during conveyance.

The movement of the carriage conveying the dye beam into a chamber above a conveyor belt in the drying device means that during unwinding from the dye beam, the fabric is taken by its own weight on to the conveyorbeltbelow, by which it is then taken through the. drying device. In this way neither complicated mechanical devices nor operative staff are needed in the area where the fabric is conveyed to the drying device.

The solvent vapors formed during unwinding of the roll from the dye beam in the carriage area have a high specific gravity, i.e., heavier than air, and thus sink into the chamber lying below and containing the drying deviceconveyor belt. In this way the upper chamber which takes the carriage is practically free of smells after all the fabric has been unrolled, so that the operatives are not troubled while the carriage is being changed.

One embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings. In these:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the: carriage immediately in front of the dyeing apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the drying device with the carriage inside a housing.

The length of fabric dyed in a beam dyeing apparatus 1 by means or organic solvents is conveyed to a drying device 2 by a carriage 3. The dye beam 4 has each of its two flanges 5 mounted on pairs of rollers 6 which are seated in channels 7 which in turn, and together with the dye beam 4, can be moved in an axial direction by means of rollers 8. By using these rollers 8 the dye beam 4 with the channels 7 can be moved out of the dyeing apparatus 1 and into the transport carriage 3.

The carriage 3 is provided with a rotary drive motor 9 whereby the dye beam 4 can be slowly rotated in the carriage. The carriage 3 is open at the top, and at the end face opposite the rotary drive 9 also comprises an opening (preferably closable) for inserting and removing the dye beam 4.

The drying device 2, shown very schematically, in

cludes a number of chambers 10, ll, 12 through which 7 passes a conveyor belt 13.

Above the chamber 10 and separated therefrom by a grid 14 is a housing 15 wherein the transport carriage 3 can be moved along with the dye beam 4 to be dried.

During unwinding from the dye beam 4, the fabric 16 drops through an. aperture in the grid 14 directly on to the conveyor belt 13 below, is taken by said belt through the various drying chambers, and is dried in a manner notof present concern. The solvent vapors formed during unwinding of the fabric from the dye beam 4 can also sink through the apertures in the grid 14 down into the chamber 10, so that the housing 15 remains largely free of smells.

When all the fabric has been unwound from dye beam 4, the access door (not shown) to housing 15 can be opened, and the carriage 3 moved out without any nuisance from smells for the operative.

The apparatus shown is only to be considered as an example. Numerous variations are possible within the scope of the invention. Thus for example the fabric 16 unwound from the dye beam 4 can be led between a pair of driven squeeze rollers 17 before it reaches the conveyor belt 13. Also, the conveyor belt can be made to rise obliquely in the chamber 10, whereby to keep smaller the total height of the device. It is, however, important that the volume of the chamber 10 is sufficient to receive and accommodate the solvent vapors descending because of their high specific gravity.

The details regarding the extraction of solvent vapors from the drying chambers,and the recovery of the solvent contained in the extracted drying air, are not of interest in the context of the present invention, and are not described here in detail, but it will be apparent that the chamber can be cooled by a conventional refrigeration unit R, by circulating cooling fluid about the walls of the chamber 10, or in any other conventional manner, to condense the solvent vapor.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus'especially adapted for drying lengths of fabric wound on a rotatable beam and dyed with a liquid the vapor of which is heavier than air, said apparatus comprising housing means forming vertically spaced, communicating chambers; a partition interposed between said chambers and having openings therein; means for supporting said beam in the upper chamber; means for rotating said beam in such direction that fabric unwound from said beam descends into the lower chamber; conveyor means in said lower chamber in a position to receive unwound fabric and convey such fabric out of the lower chamber in spreadout condition; and means for cooling said lower roll means interposed between said beam and said conveyor means for squeezing fabric unwound from said beam.

3. Apparatus set forth in claim I wherein said partition comprises a grid interposed between said chambers, said grid having an opening for the passage of said fabric and other openings for the passage of heavier than air vapors.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said beam includes a pair of circular end flanges and wherein said carriage comprises channel members having first rollers supporting said flanges for rotation relative to said channel members.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 including second rollers supporting said channel members for movement.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for supporting said beam in said upper chamber comprises a carriage. 

1. Apparatus especially adapted for drying lengths of fabric wound on a rotatable beam and dyed with a liquid the vapor of which is heavier than air, said apparatus comprising housing means forming vertically spaced, communicating chambers; a partition interposed between said chambers and having openings therein; means for supporting said beam in the upper chamber; means for rotating said beam in such direction that fabric unwound from said beam descends into the lower chamber; conveyor means in said lower chamber in a position to receive unwound fabric and convey such fabric out of the lower chamber in spreadout condition; and means for cooling said lower chamber to condense said vapor.
 2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including squeeze roll means interposed between said beam and said conveyor means for squeezing fabric unwound from said beam.
 3. Apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said partition comprises a grid interposed between said chambers, said grid having an opening for the passage of said fabric and other openings for the passage of heavier than air vapors.
 4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said beam includes a pair of circular end flanges and wherein said carriage comprises channel members having first rollers supporting said flanges for rotation relative to said channel members.
 5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 including second rollers supporting said channel members for movement.
 6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for supporting said beam in said upper chamber comprises a carriage. 